Time Turnered
by byiceandfire
Summary: After an accident involving the Ministry of Magic's collection of Time-Turners in the Department of Mysteries, Hermione Granger finds herself stuck in 1971, starting her time at Hogwarts all over again but with a new group of friends - the Marauders.
1. The Department of Mysteries

Harry, Hermione and Neville bolted through the nearest door, Hermione shouting "Colloportus" as they slammed it shut. The trio realised they had been separated from the others, but knew they didn't have much time before the Death Eaters found a way in.

"Hide!" whispered Harry. They managed to duck out of sight just as Crabbe and Rabastan broke into the room. As they began to search for the teenagers, Harry sent a stunning spell in the direction of Crabbe, rendering him unconscious. Rabastan noticed Hermione, and his lips began to form the words

"Avada Ked-" He was tackled by Harry, before a rogue Expelliarmus from Neville sent both their wands flying. Hermione sent a stunning spell, causing the Death Eater to fall backwards into a strange bell jar on a shelf. The three students didn't bother to even wonder what it might be – they were in the Department of Mysteries after all. Hermione took a moment to catch her breath, then realised the boys were already running towards a side door into what looked like an office. She picked herself up, ready to join them before noticing that Rabastan appeared to have knocked over a shelf of Time-Turners. The damage done to them had caused a loop of them falling and re-falling and a wispy, golden aura was filling the air around them, creeping closer and closer to Hermione. Sudden panic filled her – she had no idea what would happen if the mist caught her. Time was dangerous; she knew that from her experiences in her third year at Hogwarts.

"Harry – wait!" she screamed, scrambling away from the damage. The haze was inching ever closer to her, but she knew if she could just make it to the door she could escape it. And she was almost there – Harry was reaching out to her as she forced her legs to run as fast as they could, when she stumbled on a piece of debris lying in her path and felt herself trip, just slightly, but enough for her to lose her balance for a moment and slow down. A tingling sensation began to overcome her, much like the one she felt when using her Time-Turner, and dread washed over her as she realised she had been too slow. Her eyes widening, she looked up to see Harry only five metres from where she stood, his face full of confusion and terror and his mouth screaming for her. And then she was gone.


	2. Remembering

**A/N This is my first ever fanfic so thank you to everyone who has reviewed/favourited/followed, I had quite a confidence boost! Here's the next chapter, it's a bit longer than the first but is still quite introductory. Long term, I'm still trying to decide whether to put all 7 years at Hogwarts into one long story or spread them out, what do you think? Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

"Harry… Ron…" Hermione mumbled as she felt herself slowly coming to her senses. Her eyes felt heavy, and she couldn't find the energy within her to open them. Come to think of it she couldn't find the energy to move at all. She could hear a murmur of voices growing louder in her ears, when a sudden yell snapped her into reality.

"Mum! Dad! Come quickly, she's sick! Help!"

Hermione could make out the silhouette of a boy crouching over her and heard loud, quick footsteps approaching them before her eyes rolled back into her head and she fainted yet again.

...

When Hermione's eyes next opened, she simply felt as though she was waking up from a deep but restless sleep, as though she had been sleeping for years but was still tired. Sitting up and taking in her surroundings for the first time, she let out a shrill cry of surprise when she noticed a woman sitting in a large armchair in the corner of the room. The woman jolted upright suddenly at the sound, her whole body alert and ready. She relaxed when she saw Hermione awake and looking rather frightened.

"Hello, my dear". She spoke with a gentle, kindly voice that immediately calmed Hermione. "How are you feeling? You've been asleep quite some time!"

"I… I think I'm okay… I can't seem to remember much…" Her eyes swept around the room curiously. "I do hate to sound rude, but… if you don't mind me asking… who are you?"

The lady chuckled softly, replying "My dear, of course I don't mind you asking! You must be terribly confused, waking up in a room that you don't recognise with a person you've never met. My name is Dorea Potter. My son found you just outside our house. He noticed you had a wand and appeared to be in some distress, so we brought you inside and contacted Professor Dumbledore immediately. You've been sleeping for almost three days now."

At the mention of the name Dumbledore, a face flashed into Hermione's mind that she half recognised, almost as if it were some memory from a previous life.

"Now if you don't mind _me_ asking, my dear, how did you come by that wand? You appear much too young for it to be your own. You haven't started at Hogwarts yet, surely?"

Hermione's mind was racing. All this talk of wands and Hogwarts was bringing flashes of memories into her mind, though she couldn't quite piece them together.

"This is my wand. I've had it for years. Its vine wood, dragon heartstring, ten-and-three-quarters inches."

The words tumbled out of Hermione's mouth before she could stop, or even comprehend them. A slight frown graced the woman's features before she dispelled it with a smile. Hermione noticed she was rather beautiful, with dark hair and large brown eyes, despite clearly being fairly aged.

"I suppose I should notify Professor Dumbledore of your awakening. He asked to be informed when it would be suitable for him to talk with you. As long as you are feeling up to it of course, my dear?"

Hermione nodded and the woman glided out of the room, closing the door behind her and leaving Hermione to her frantic thoughts. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on some of the images that were racing around her head. She could see many different scenes – a living room and kitchen that shouted 'home' to Hermione – a bright red train on a strange platform, 9¾, surrounded by lively families and children carrying owls and trunks – a looming castle with warm, welcoming lights flickering in the windows – a round dormitory full of giggling girls, decorated red and gold – beautiful scenery surrounding her, green lawns, a great lake, and a forest. But most prevalent of all were the faces of two boys, one with scruffy black hair, bright green eyes, glasses and a lightning scar, the other ginger with freckles, giving her a sheepish grin. And two names – Harry and Ron. As Hermione heard the creak of a door, her eyes snapped open and she gasped. Poking his head around the door of the bedroom was the boy from her memories.

"Harry?!" The boy pulled a confused face.

"No. James" He entered the room properly and Hermione was surprised to feel disappointed as she realised this was not the same boy. He could almost have passed for his twin, if it weren't for the lack of green eyes and glasses. The boy – James – ruffled his hair nervously and Hermione noticed he didn't have a scar either.

"I overheard mum saying you were awake so I thought I'd come and say hello. I don't know if you'll be staying here much longer – they might take you somewhere else."

"Why would they do that?"

"Well I suppose they'll take you back to your parents, won't they?"

"I… I don't know. I can't remember anything, where I came from, who I am, I don't even know who my parents are!"

"It'll come back to you. Dumbledore will help, he's great. Mum and dad are always saying how he's such a good teacher. Well, he's Headmaster now, of course, but you know. What's your name?"

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, before stopping and thinking for a second.

"Ah! Hermione Granger!"

"Took you a minute! Well I suppose they'll look for a pair of Grangers who have lost their daughter then. Shouldn't be too hard."

"I guess you're right."

They were interrupted by the door opening and James' mum reappearing, now holding a tray of food.

"It's just me, my dear. Dum- James! I told you to leave the poor girl alone!" James grinned and winked at Hermione then bolted out of the room yelling a goodbye behind him.

"I'm so sorry my dear, James is such a trouble-maker, I don't know where we went wrong with him!"

"Don't worry, we were just having a pleasant conversation actually."

"Hmph, okay. I just came to say that Dumbledore will be here first thing in the morning, so I suggest you have another rest before then. I imagine he'll be wanting to ask you a few questions, so you should try to regain some energy. Here, I brought you some food, you must be hungry. Eat up, and then go to sleep. I'll come again in the morning."

"Thank you Mrs Potter. I think if I sleep I'll be able to remember a lot more."

"Oh please, my dear, call me Dorea! Or even mum!" She smiled at Hermione again and left the room.

Once again left to her thoughts, Hermione could finally start to make sense of what was going on. She could remember things from her past that can't have happened more than a few years ago, although for some reason it felt like decades. She remembered living a perfectly normal life at home with her parents, despite a few odd moments on her behalf, until one day she received a visit from none other than the man whose face had popped into her head at the mention of the name Dumbledore. She concentrated hard, remembering how it had been broken to her that she was a witch, and was invited to study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She remembered going to a magical shopping street, Diagon Alley, to buy her school supplies, and reading every book she bought until she knew them off by heart, terrified that she would have a disadvantage at school coming from a non-magic family. Then she remembered meeting two boys who in time became the best friends she had ever known, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, and she remembered all the adventures they had had up until their fifth year, when she recalled the trio and a group of their friends travelling to the Ministry of Magic, to save Harry's godfather Sirius Black, and she remembered all about Lord Voldemort, who had killed Harry's parents, James and Lily Potter… James Potter… the boy… Sudden realisation swept over Hermione. She knew exactly what had happened. She remembered the golden mist, how it had tingled as if she was using a Time-Turner, and how she had woken up and been greeted by none other than James Potter. Hermione had travelled back in time. With a start, Hermione recalled the words Dorea had spoken to her not long ago.

 _"Now if you don't mind_ me _asking, my dear, how did you come by that wand? You appear much too young for it to be your own. You haven't started at Hogwarts yet, surely?"_

Hermione frowned. She had been in her fifth year at Hogwarts, definitely! She was 16 years old! Why in the name of Merlin did Dorea think she was too young to have a wand? Throwing back the covers of the bed, she climbed out, unsteady on her feet, and stumbled over to a mirror on the wall. The reflection that looked back at Hermione caused her to jump back in shock – she hadn't seen this face in years. Five, to be precise - Hermione was looking at her eleven year old self.


	3. Diagon Alley

The next morning, Hermione was visited by Dumbledore, and she explained everything to him. At first she was unsure of exactly how much she should reveal to him – should she tell him of James' future death, and the friend he would make at Hogwarts who would later be the cause of this? Of the student who had been and gone at Hogwarts, but would soon rise to be the most powerful Dark Wizard the world had seen? But in the end, she told him everything. It was best, she felt, to have someone who knew all her reasons for being here, and to whom she could turn when she had questions that needed answering. She trusted whole heartedly that Dumbledore would keep her secrets, lest they fell upon the ears of Dorea, Charlus (James' father) or even James himself. And perhaps, just perhaps, there was a way in which Hermione, with the help of the professor, could change the fates that awaited the innocent children. Perhaps she could ensure that Harry could live a normal life, without the shadow of his parents' deaths and the threat of Voldemort constantly looming over him. Perhaps she could make everything right.

At the end of his visit, Dumbledore stood up to leave, but not before reassuring Hermione that she would have a place at Hogwarts, where James would also be going in just over a month's time. He had also made arrangements with the Potters, and Hermione would be staying with them every holiday for as long as she liked.

"Of course! I cannot let her stay anywhere else!" had been Dorea's response when the question had been posed. Hermione felt a rush of affection towards the family of the friend she had left in the future, although it was tinted with angst at the thought of once again having to come face to face with James, and anyone else she knew only as adults in her own time. But she was unbelievably grateful to the Potters for taking her in when she was at her most vulnerable, even though they had not been told exactly what her situation was, and probably never would be.

It was gone midday by the time Dumbledore had left, and Hermione suddenly realised that she was famished. Standing up and stretching her limbs, she made her way over to the wardrobe, and opened it to be greeted by a somewhat interesting collection of clothes. 'Of course,' she thought to herself, 'It's 1971'. The clothes all looked like they would fit her, however, and Hermione managed to find a plain pair of jeans and a flowery top. Making her way downstairs, she followed her nose to the kitchen, where she found Dorea sat reading the Daily Prophet as a house elf prepared lunch. She looked up as Hermione entered the room and beamed.

"Hermione, my dear, good morning! Or should I say good afternoon? Would you like something to eat? Reemey here is just making us some omelette and the boys should be coming in any minute."

"The boys?"

"Oh yes, my two boys. My son James and my husband Charlus – I don't believe you've met him yet, have you?"

Hermione shook her head and took a seat at the table. She poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice from the jug in the middle of the table. Just as she raised it to her lips, a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders from behind and a voice yelled 'Boo!', making her spill the drink everywhere. Hermione turned to find James doubled over laughing, and then, horrified, back to the mess she had created to find Dorea simply waving her wand and making it disappear with a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"James Charlus Potter, that is no way to treat our guest." Dorea said in a stern voice, "Apologise immediately."

James took a break from his laughter just long enough to splutter a sorry before resuming his snickering and moving on to pester the house elf Reemey.

"Once again, my dear, I'm afraid I must apologise for my son's behaviour. We have grown used to the pranks and mischievousness, but whenever we have guests I remember how cheeky he really is. Perhaps a lovely, mature friend such as yourself will tone him down while he is at Hogwarts."

"I doubt it," Charlus Potter chimed in, "It never did much good with me." He winked at Hermione, just like his son had done the previous day.

"Oh shush you, I was a very good influence on you, and you know it" retorted Dorea. Hermione giggled at how love-struck the pair were as the cheerful conversation continued effortlessly between all four of them over lunch. It felt almost like they were Hermione's real family.

Before she knew it, there were only a few weeks until the two children would be boarding the Hogwarts Express, and it was time for a trip to Diagon Alley. The group gathered before the largest fireplace in the Potter mansion and each took a handful of Floo powder. Hermione, having travelled this way before, assured Dorea that she knew what she was doing, followed Charlus who had gone first into the fireplace, spoke the words clearly and arrived promptly at the Leaky Cauldron. She clambered out and was quickly joined by James and Dorea. James was extremely excited today, after all, today was the day he would be purchasing his wand. The family had already agreed that Hermione should steer clear of Ollivander's, in case any questions were raised about her own wand. As the group made their way into Diagon Alley, Hermione took a moment to admire the place. She was looking forward to visiting Flourish and Blotts, where she could purchase some extra reading, she could see Madam Malkin's, and the Magical Menagerie where she had found dear old Crookshanks. Finally, her eyes rested on the largest building in the street, towering over the rest – Gringotts Bank. Then it hit her. How could she have been so stupid?

"Mrs Potter- I mean, Dorea- I mean, mum. I don't have any money! All of it is in the future!" Since she was muggle born, there would be no family vault which she could raid.

"Nonsense Hermione! You're our daughter now! We'll make sure you have everything you need, my dear." Hermione felt relieved and almost silly that she had worried for a moment.

"Now, come. The boys are going to go to Ollivander's, it's always busy, while we go to Flourish and Blotts. Then we'll meet up at Madam Malkin's, then visit the Magical Menagerie, and we may even have time for a trip to Florean Fortescue's. How does that sound?" Hermione and James looked at each other and grinned, before each dragging their respective parent off excitedly.

A few hours later, the family sat in the ice cream parlour, all wondering how in the name of Merlin they would be able to devour the huge sundaes in front of them (well, maybe not James). James was admiring his new wand, proudly stating that it was mahogany and 'excellent for transfiguration'. Hermione, meanwhile was desperate to get stuck into her new book, 'Quintessence: A Quest' (had she remained in her own time, she knew she would have had to read this in her next school year). They had both also acquired new pets for their journey to Hogwarts – James had an owl which he had, in Hermione's opinion, stupidly named Bigglesworth, while Hermione now had a beautiful snowy white cat named Athena after the Greek goddess of wisdom, courage and justice.

After a long, gruelling, but enjoyable day, the new family made their way back home. The next few weeks flew by in a blur of days spent either curled up in the Potters' library or playing out in the sun with James, who seemed happy to finally have someone his own age to play his pranks on. Soon Hermione found herself packing her trunk with her new belongings, ready to board the train to Hogwarts the next morning. Eventually, she clambered into bed and lay for a while thinking. She had to admit, she was nervous of who she would meet. Obviously there would be Sirius, Remus, Peter Pettigrew, Lily Potter (no, Evans, Hermione would force herself to remember) and even Snape. But who else? How many future parents of her friends would she meet? How many future Death Eaters? After what seemed like an age listing all the possibilities in her head, Hermione finally fell asleep with a smile on her face, thinking simply that she was happy to be returning to somewhere she knew and loved.


	4. Hogwarts

**A/N Sorry I haven't updated in ages, I've been away for a while and then I've had to do all my personal statement and stuff when I got back so it's been pretty busy. I'm getting my AS results in the morning :s and then I'm going away again so I definitely needed to post another chapter before I left, this one's a bit longer too but idk how good it is so please review! Hope you enjoy :)**

"Quick, hurry! We're already running late, you don't want to miss the train!"

"It's fiiiiine, mum, we've still got four minutes!"

"Exactly, we've only got four minutes! Get through the barrier, quick!"

The family emerged onto Platform 9¾, still bickering about how much time they had.

"Now listen, both of you," Dorea began, "I want to-"

"Hear from us every day, yes, we know. But I think we all know that's not going to happen mum!"

"Don't worry ma, we'll write as often as we can," Hermione had taken to calling Dorea 'ma' as she felt slightly uncomfortable using 'mum', as she felt she would be intruding on their family too much, "but I imagine we'll both be very busy with all our homework."

"Hah, yeah, _homework…_ " James said sarcastically, as they were both pushed towards the train. Dorea sighed.

"Okay, but take care of yourselves. And don't get into too much trouble, James!" With the final hugs and goodbyes, the pair of 11 year olds boarded the train.

"We're never going to find an empty compartment at this time," Hermione said matter-of-factly, just as the whistle blew and the train moved away, "I suppose we'll have to share with someone."

"Here, this'll do, there's only one person in here." James pulled her into a compartment with just one boy, who also looked like a first year.

"James Potter, the one and only, at your service" he announced to the boy, who smirked.

"Sirius Black at yours" the boy replied, and Hermione gasped. Of course! Now she knew, she wondered how she hadn't recognised him. The young Sirius had much the same face and was very handsome. His jet black hair fell just past his ears and his grey eyes pierced Hermione. She suddenly became aware that both the boys were looking at her expectantly.

"Oh, sorry. Hermione Granger." She said and stuck her hand out. Sirius looked at it, then cautiously shook it. The trio settled back down on the plush seats and began chatting, when they were interrupted by the compartment door opening again. A pretty ginger girl stuck her head in.

"Do you mind if my friend and I sit with you? Everywhere else is full." James immediately jumped up, looking in awe at the girl and invited her right in.

"Thank you, I'll just go get my friend." James watched her go then grinned at Sirius.

"She was gorgeous! I'm gonna ask her out as soon as we find out what houses we're in! But if she's in Slytherin I suppose I might have to pass… Maybe you'll get with her friend mate!" Sirius smiled,

"Only if she's as fit as she was!" he replied, although he subtly glanced over at Hermione.

"Oi, she's mine! I saw her first!"

"OK!" Hermione said loudly, "She is a person, you know! Maybe she won't want to go out with you!"

"As if," James smirked, "Why wouldn't she?"

"Well," Hermione began.

"Okay, no, don't answer that," he said quickly, glancing at Sirius as if to make sure he didn't think there was anything embarrassing to know about James. The girl reappeared, dragging a pale boy with black hair behind her. Now it was Hermione's turn to smirk as she saw Sirius' face drop – he didn't look happy at the thought of 'getting with' the friend anymore!

"I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Lily, Lily Evans, and this is Severus." Once again, Hermione found herself shocked that she hadn't recognised the children. The group made their introductions and James' flirting soon got underway as they all talked. Soon the topic turned to the Sorting Ceremony at Hogwarts.

"Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?" Sirius asked.

"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart! Like my dad." Snape made a small, disparaging noise. James turned on him.

"Got a problem with that?"

"No," said Snape, though his slight sneer said otherwise. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy –"

"Where're you hoping to go seeing as you're neither?" interjected Sirius. Tension filled the compartment so Hermione decided to voice her thoughts.

"I don't really mind where I go, all of the houses have something to offer. Gryffindor, for the brave and daring. Hufflepuff, for the dedicated and kind. Ravenclaw, for the intelligent and accepting. And Slytherin, for the ambitious and resourceful."

"Merlin's knickers Hermione, you sound like you're reciting Hogwarts: A History!" James snorted, "And come on, as if you'd be happy to go to Slytherin. They're all evil!"

"Hey! All of my family are in Slytherin!" Sirius shouted, causing James' heart to skip a beat, "So yeah, they're all evil." He finished, and James looked relieved. The rest of the journey was rather uneventful, although Hermione thought Lily seemed rather curt with James and Sirius after they were rude to Severus. She wondered if this was the beginning of a rift between Harry's future parents.

…

"Firs' years over 'ere! Follow me!" came a booming voice over the crowd of students leaving the train. Hermione tried to stay close to James and Sirius as they craned their necks to get a view of the half giant that was ushering them in his direction. The group of children followed Hagrid down a steep, narrow pathway, whispering to each other anxiously, when he bellowed,

"Alrigh', no more than four to a boat!" The students ooh-ed and aah-ed at the sight of the magnificent castle and raced to the boats, all nerves forgotten. Hermione looked around for James and Sirius but saw that they had already boarded a boat with two other boys. Slightly hurt, she instead followed Lily and Severus to a boat with a girl sat on her own, who introduced herself as Jessica Fawley. The fleet of boats set off into the vast lake with a "FORWARD!" from Hagrid.

Once they reached the other side and had come to a rest in a harbour right under the castle, they climbed a set of stairs to be greeted by a stern-faced teacher, who Hermione already knew to be Professor McGonagall. She led them into the Entrance Hall of the castle, gave them a quick speech about the four houses then told them to wait for her return, and smarten themselves up for the Sorting Ceremony. No more than two minutes later, she reappeared and led them into the Great Hall.

Although Hermione had already done this before, she couldn't help but notice the butterflies in her stomach as they trudged out under the watchful eyes of the older students. She, and many of the other first years, noticed the Sorting Hat sat on its stool, and waited for it to sing its yearly song. When it had finished, the entire hall burst into enthusiastic applause, and it was time to begin.

"Abbot, Martha" A pink faced girl with blonde hair made her way hastily to the stool, tripping slightly on her way, and yanked the hat onto her head. It was only there a matter of seconds before yelling –

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

A couple of names later and Hermione heard,

"Black, Sirius" Sirius strolled up to the stool, feigning an air of confidence, through which Hermione could easily see, and screwed his face up in concentration as he put the hat on his head. Hermione glanced over at the Slytherin table to see them looking confident about this student, when all of a sudden –

"GRYFFINDOR!"

There was a collective gasp from the entire hall, which quickly settled to a stunned silence at the fact that a member of the Black family had been sorted into a house other than Slytherin, especially with it being their rival house. Sirius, however, managed to look embarrassed and pleased with himself both at the same time. Professor McGonagall, noticing the atmosphere, moved quickly on to the next name and Hermione listened absent-mindedly as Lily was sorted into Gryffindor and Jessica Fawley into Ravenclaw.

Then it was time for Hermione to be sorted. She wondered if it would take as long as last time, or even if she might end up in Ravenclaw a second time round. Placing the hat on her head, she took a deep breath and pushed the images of all her adventures with Harry and Ron to the fore-front of her mind.

"Ahh yes," the Sorting Hat whispered, "An extremely intelligent one we have here, you would do well in Ravenclaw… but what's this? How very brave. Well, there's no denying it really – I suppose it has to be GRYFFINDOR!"

Hermione beamed and almost sprinted over to the table where she sat down next to Lily, who for some reason still seemed nervous.

"Hey, what's wrong? You've been sorted, why are you still nervous?"

"I just really hope Sev gets into Gryffindor. I know he wants to be a Slytherin but he's the only person I know here, and I don't want to be on my own her!" Hermione nodded sympathetically,

"Don't worry. Even if he isn't in Gryffindor, I'll be your friend!" Lily smiled at her gratefully, but even so, she crossed her fingers when Snape's name was called, and when the Sorting Hat shouted

"SLYTHERIN!" having barely even touched his head and Severus was welcomed to the table by none other than Lucius Malfoy, she looked as though she might cry. The delicious feast that appeared shortly after did nothing to cheer her up, so Hermione made a mental note to talk to her in the common room later.

"Hey Evans!" came a shout. The redhead whipped around, frowning.

"In case you hadn't notice, my name is Lily and I'd appreciate it if you used it!" The culprit was none other than James Potter, who merely gave what was becoming a signature smirk and said,

"Now I know you're a Gryffindor, what do you say to going out with me?"

"As a matter of fact, I say no. Not only have I only known you a matter of hours, but in that time you have managed to come across as an insufferable, judgmental toerag, so no I will not go out with you."

James' face fell, clearly not expecting that reply but he soon righted himself and replied, "I'm not going to give up Evans, mark my words." And with that he returned to his conversation with Sirius with another smirk on his face, although Hermione noticed he looked slightly less pompous than before.

…

They were led to Gryffindor Tower by a 6th year prefect, who spoke the password 'Codswallop' and showed them to their dormitories. Hermione was delighted to find out she was in a room with Lily and three other girls named Amanda Prewett (who Hermione suspected to be Molly Weasley's cousin), Melissa Hopkins and Cressida Livingston-Whit (a posh muggle-born who had been planning on going to Wycombe Abbey). After unpacking their belongings, the three other girls went to sit in the common room, leaving Hermione alone with Lily.

"You know, you'll still see Severus at lunch and dinner, and I bet he's in half your lessons too. It's not like you'll suddenly see nothing of each other and slowly drift apart. And besides, if he's a good enough friend he'll make an effort to see you!" Hermione said abruptly, shocking Lily slightly.

"I know, but it was Sev who told me all about me being a witch and magic and Hogwarts, and I always imagined we'd be together for the whole time! He was so nice to me when Tuney – I mean Petunia, my sister – started to hate me. I just wish he wanted to be in Gryffindor with me!"

"Lily, the Sorting Hat barely took a second to put him in Slytherin. I don't think he would have made it into Gryffindor if he tried." Hermione said sadly. Lily frowned.

"That doesn't make him a bad person! Sev is clever, determined and ambitious. He just likes to put himself first, you know…"

"Of course not, I'm sure he's a great guy!" Although all Hermione could think of was the foul potions teacher who had bullied students for as long as she could remember. She smiled sadly at Lily and decided to head down to the common room. It was still fairly early in the evening, so the room was full but it didn't stop a particularly loud group of boys noticing her and calling her over excitedly. Rolling her eyes slightly, Hermione reluctantly headed towards James, Sirius and their new friends, whom she assumed to be Remus and Peter.

"Ah, the lovely Hermione! Couldn't stay away, eh?" Sirius said with a wink, "Have you met Remus and Peter yet?" Hermione said hello, but couldn't quite bring herself to meet Peter's eyes knowing what she knew about his betrayal. However despite her uncomfortable feelings towards Peter, Hermione found she easily fell into conversation with the group of boys, and noticed that she got on particularly well with Remus, which seemed to catch Sirius attention too. Before she knew it the rest of the common room was empty and even James was beginning to look tired.

"I guess we should make a move." Remus said, checking his watch. Hermione nodded while yawning and headed towards the girls' staircase. As she began to climb it she heard her name and turned around to see Sirius left alone by his staircase. He looked like he wanted to say something but just as he opened his mouth to speak James shouted down to hurry up. So, with a small smile, he simply said,

"Goodnight," and turned away. Hermione, slightly confused shrugged but also smiled, happy at the thought that she had well and truly made some good friends on her 'first' day at Hogwarts.


End file.
